BEKEN OF COWES


at Cowes in 1876. A year later, the 199-ton Hildegarde secured the Prince’s first Queen’s Cup in similar conditions – with a momentary easing of the RYS’s cast-iron rules when ladies were allowed to rush onto the platform to witness the nail-biting finish. The Prince enjoyed his next success with the 102-ton


cutter Formosa, built for Mr F Sloane Stanley in 1878. She immediately challenged the dominance of the old Solent favourites Arrow and Vol-au-Vent in her debut season. Although she won a second Queen’s Cup for the Prince in 1880, he only kept Formosa for two years before transferring his racing flag to the 210-ton schooner Aline. Like Hildegarde, Aline had been built by the Gosport yard of Camper & Nicholson, for Charles Sabine Thellusson. In the wake of America’s victory of 1851 it had been considered essential to fit schooners with raked masts, yet Aline’s were nearly vertical and she was one of the first schooners to have a running bowsprit. Her successful racing career began in style by winning the 1860 Queen’s Cup. She passed through several owners


Left: King George V at the helm


CLASSIC BOAT APRIL 2012 57


BEKEN OF COWES


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